Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an old civilization on the Nile River. The periods of Ancient Egypt were the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. It was conquered by the Assyrian Empire, then the Achaemenid Empire, then Macedon, before becoming the Ptolemaic Kingdom. It fell to the Roman Empire in 30 BC, causing the end of Ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt was very powerful due to the rich farmland along the Nile. The first peace treaty was signed between Egypt and the Hittite Empire, ending the Battle of Kadesh. The highest power in Egypt was the Pharaoh, the ruler. The pharaoh was followed by high priests and officials, then soldiers and scribes, then craftsmen and merchants, then servants and slaves. The Egyptians built many structures to worship and honor their gods, like temples. History The history of Egypt began when hunter-gatherers settled in the region. Predynastic period Egypt used to be green land lush, unlike nowadays. Early people in the area farmed in the region. The Naqada III culture took over the region. They made symbols that evolved into Egyptian hieroglyphs. They made jewelry and pottery that looked a lot like Ancient Egyptian jewelry and pottery. Early Dynastic Period The Early Dynastic period was formed when the pharaoh Narmer, or Menes, united Upper and Lower Egypt. They early pharaohs established the capital at Memphis and traded with the Levant. Egypt became more stable during this period. Old Kingdom The Old Kingdom, many advances in culture were made during this period. The Great Pyramids were built during this time. A severe drought has believed to cause the collapse of the Old Kingdom. First Intermediate Period Due to the collapse of the Old Kingdom, pharaohs could not sustain the civilization. So, leaders from different areas established different cultures using their local resources. A dyansty at Heraklepolis fought with a dynasty from Thebes over control of the region. The Theban forces defeated the Herakleopolitan forces, beginning the Middle Kingdom. Middle Kingdom ''' The Middle Kingdom restored Egypt's power. Pharaoh Mentuhotep II and his successors came from Thebes, but Amenemhat I changed the capital to Itjtawy, due to being in a good defense location. He ordered to have walls built around his royal city. Amenemhat III allowed Canaaites to come into Egypt to work for him. a severe flood of the Nile ended the Middle Kingdom. '''Second Intermediate Period The Second Intermediate Period was a time of decline. A group of people named the Hyksos, who were from the Canaaites, took over most of Egypt. The Egyptian pharaohs were trapped between the Hyksos and the Nubians, the Kushites to be more exact, forcing them to retreat to Thebes. The pharaohs were able to defeat the Kushites, but not the Hyksos, until Ahmose I rose to power. He managed to expand to the Middle East, starting the New Kingdom. New Kingdom The pharaohs of the New Kingdom made peace with their neighbors. Egypt expanded greatly under the power of the Thutmose pharaohs. During this period, pharaohs were leading a campaign to promote the god Amun in Karnak. Egypt was worried when Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten, replaced the main deity as Aten. He changed the capital city to Akhetaten, or Armana. This period was known as the Armana Period. His successors tried to erase every mention of Akhenaten's reign. The first peace treaty was signed between Egypt and the Hittite Empire in the Battle of Kadesh. Egypt's power lead to the collapse of the nation, starting the Third Intermediate Period. Third Intermediate Period The Third Intermediate period followed the death of Ramesses XI. Smendes took over northern Egypt and ruled from the city of Tanis, where the south was ruled by priests from Thebes. Libyans threatened Egypt from the west, and Kushites from the south, who invaded and conquered Egypt. The Assyrian Empire then defeated the Kushites and sacked Thebes. Late Period The Assyrians left Egypt to some vessels that defeated the Assyrians with the help of some Greeks. Egypt fell to the Achaemenid Empire under pharaoh Psamtik III. It became independent for a little while, but ended when Artaxerxes III defeated the last native Egyptian king, Nectanebo II. Persian rule ended when Persia handed over Egypt to Alexander the Great. Ptolemaic Egypt Both Egyptian and Greek cultures were practiced in Ptolemaic Egypt, but more Egyptian than Greek. Greeks dressed up like pharaohs and built Egyptian temples. The Roman Empire relied heavily on the resources from Egypt, and since Egypt was unstable after the death of Ptolemy IV, the Romans invaded Egypt during the reign of Cleopatra VII. Roman Egypt The Romans were a lot more hostile to Egyptians than the Greeks. In 391, Emperor Theodosius banned the Egyptian religion in Aegyptus, or Roman Egypt. After this, Egyptians started to lose the ability to read hieroglyphics. Temples were abandoned or changed into churches. Government The Pharaoh was the highest power in the country, and had complete control over the country, its resources, and military, serving as military commander. The country was divided into regions called nomes that were under control of rules called nomarchs. Economy Egypt did not use currency until the Late Period, but earlier they bought goods with metals like silver, or traded goods for goods. Agriculture Most of the Egyptians farmed near the fertile land along the Nile. They had three seasons for farming called Akhet, Peret, ''and ''Shemu, ''meaning flooding. planting, and harvesting. Their main foods were mostly consisting of wheat, but they also grew vegetables and fruits. The Egyptians grew flax plants and used the fibers to make thread to weave linen together to make clothing. Papyrus was grown to make paper. '''Animals' Animals were important in Ancient Egypt. More livestock usually meant more power for a temple. Poultry and bees have been domesticated since the Old Kingdom. Many animals in the New Kingdom were used as sacrifices, for example, cats were used as offerings to the cat goddess Bastet. Resources Egypt was rich many types of precious gems and ores, such as gold. Flint stones were the first proof of habitation in the Nile valley. The ancient Egyptians were the first people to use minerals as cosmetics. Most of the precious gems were found in wadis, or valleys. Trade Egypt traded with many nearby neighbors. They traded with Nubia for gold and incense, and Palestine for jugs.